Gutter bracket



IN VEN TOR.

EAQL. K. MILAM nite rates a: in.

This invention relates to supporting brackets, and in particular to a bracket for temporarily positioning and holding an eaves trough during installation.

Sections of roof gutter are of considerable length, and would therefore ordinarily require the services of more than one Workman to hold them in place while the initial fastening is effected. This problem is further complicated by the fact that the trough must be arranged on a slant to provide a gradient for proper run-off of the water.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a support means which enables one-man installation of eaves troughs. A further and related object is to provide a support as aforesaid in which adjustment of the run-off gradient is facilitated. Yet another object is to provide an eaves trough support which is slidably adjustable and readily removable after installation of the trough.

The foregoing objects are attained by use of a pair of brackets each having a saddle for accommodation of the trough, and a vertical rod slidably adjustable with respect to the trough, adapted to be temporarily nailed to a building, and dislodged therefrom by twisting a handle on the lower end of the rod.

For a more detailed description of the invention, referonce is made to the following specification, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FEGURE 1 is a perspective, fragmentary view of a portion or" a building in the region of the eaves, showing one end of an eaves trough section supported on one of the temporary brackets,

FIGURE 2 is a front, elevational view of the bracket of FIGURE 1, enlarged, and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of a fragmentary portion of the bracket, as seen along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown, in FIGURE 1, an eaves structure comprising a roof 1%, a horizontal timber l2, and a vertical plank 14, the latter being the element to which the eaves trough 16 is to be secured to receive the run-off of rain from the roof. The trough, which forms no part of the present invention, and which may partake of various forms or shapes, has a bottom 18, and an outer, slant Wall 2%, with a channel-form, upper bead 22.

The main body of the bracket is formed by multiple bending of a single strap of metal, and comprises a medial section or vertical leg 24, a horizontal arm or upper section as for supporting the bottom of the trough, and an upwardly slanting arm 28 accommodating slant Wall 26, and having its upper edge turned into a tubular form 30 underlying the trough head 22. At its lower end the band or strap has a lower section, bent into U form, with a lower horizontal section 32, a vertical section 34, and an upper, horizontal section 36. Other- Wise viewed, the bracket may be considered as of channel form, with section 24 constituting the bottom, and arm 26, with U section 32, 34, 36, constituting the side walls. The respective, horizontal sections 26. 36, 32 of the strap have axially aligned bores 38, 4d, 42, slidably receiving a rod '44 which serves as a medium for anchoring the bracket to a building. For the latter purpose the rod has a flattened upper end 44 bored at 46 to receive a nail for temporarily anchoring it to a building. At its lower end the rod 44 is bent into U form to constitute a handle 47, with lower and upper, horizontal sections 48, 59, and a bight 52. The position of the main body of the bracket on the rod 44 is maintained by a set screw 54 having a turning handle 56 and threaded in a nut 58 welded to the bracket. In order to prevent turning of the rod 44 when the set screw is slightly loosened for sliding adjustment, the rod has a flat portion 66.

In use, a pair of the brackets is secured to the plank 14 by nails through the bores 46, being spaced apart a distance less than the length of trough to be installed. The strap portions of the brackets are then adjusted to approximately the desired position for the trough, and the set screws tightened. The trough is then laid on the brackets, after which final adjustment of the brackets is made, and partial nailing of the trough to the building effected, after which the anchoring nails of the rods are removed from the building by twisting the rods through the lower handles. The brackets may then be removed from behind the trough by downward sliding, and the nailing of the trough to the building completed.

Ir" desired, the upper part of the rod, which is subjected to the hardest usage, may be made replaceable, as by the extra tip 62 (FIGURE 2) interhally threaded for securement on a threaded shank 64 on the upper end of rod 44.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim by Letters Patent is:

1. A holding device for an eaves trough comprising a bracket with a medial section and upper and lower sections transverse to said medial section, a slant section secured to said upper section and arranged at an obtuse angle thereto and terminating in it rolled edge, said lower section having a bent portion generally parallel to said medial section, and said bent portion having a further bent portion generally parallel to said lower section and terminating adjacent said medial section, said upper and lower sections and said further bent portion having axially aligned bores, a rod slidably received in said bores, and having a transversely extending handle at one end, a perforated, flat tip threadedly secured on its upper end, and a longitudinally extending fiat portion intermediate said handle and said tip, and screw means carried by said lower section and contacting said rod.

2. A holding device for an eaves trough comprising a bracket with a medial section and upper and lower sections transverse to said medial section, a slant section secured to said upper section and arranged at an obtuse angle thereto, said lower section having a bent portion generally parallel to said medial section, and a further bent portion secured to said last-named bent portion generally parallel to said lower section and terminating adjacent said medial section, said upper and lower sections and said further bent portion having aligned, axial bores, a rod slidably received in said bores, and having a transversely extending handle at one end, a perforated, flat tip in its upper end, and screw means carried by said lower section and contacting said rod.

3. A holding device for an eaves trough comprising a channel-form bracket having a bottom and two walls, said walls having bores aligned on an axis adjacent and generally parallel to said bottom, a rod slidably received in said bores, and having a handle on one end and a transverse bore near its other end, and means carried by one of said walls for locking said rod in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,073,874 Smith Sept. 23, 1913 2,686,960 Le Roy Aug. 24, 1954 2,879,962 Biskup Mar. 31, 1959 2,892,604 Keen et al. June 30, 1959 2,037,767 Haynes et al. June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 155,439 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1920 

